So this week I've been busy putting together 56-2x4 Pumpkin kits for a ladies craft night at my church. They were able to make this set of pumpkins for free, thanks to some really great finds!
My dad is so great, he knows that I love to craft, so when he had the opportunity to snag enough 2x4 ends to fill his truck (from a construction job) he loaded them up and brought them home for me. Isn't that so nice? Best gift ever! Not only did he get me the free wood, but he cut it all for me too! Love my Dad!
Tip: If they are framing a house/building in your area, talk to the supervisor and ask if you can have the unused 2x4 ends. There's a good chance they'll let you have them for free.
There were 168 pieces that needed to be sanded. This is how they looked before...
...and this is how they looked two sanded knuckles and 2 1/2 hours later...
What? You don't notice any difference? Oh, I'm hurt. :)
Trust me when I say, sanding them with an electric sander did make a difference. I prefer to do the sanding for them, before the craft night, for three reasons:
1. Electric sanders are loud and interfere with conversation.
2. Sanding dust is dirty, the women come looking nice and shouldn't have to leave all dusty.
3. It saves time.
I chose to put the items in a kit, and included instructions in each bag. I find this helps things to run more smoothly.
Kit Contents and Cost Breakdown for 56 kits:
Brown paper sacks (.88)
Paper with directions (not pictured)
3 wood blocks (free)
Spanish moss ($4 for a large bag)
Raffia (donated)
Cut branches for stems (My neighbor had a truck full of them, lucky!)
Fabric for bows (already had it and it costs less than ribbon)
Wire ($4.50)
Paper Towels (donated them)
Hot glue (leftover from last years craft projects)
Orange Paint ($8)
Brushes and sandpaper: (leftover from last year)
Total Cost for 56 sets of Pumpkins: $17.38
Cost for each set: 31 Cents! plus tax
We chose simple decorations for the night. The centerpiece was a wide-mouthed canning jar filled with pine cones and tied with a raffia bow. Which cost us nothing! The table runners were plastic dollar store tablecloths cut in fourths the long way. We used matching napkins to add more color.
The food was delicious! The ladies brought a variety of soups, rolls and cake. This was not an extravagant night, but it didn't matter, it was perfect. Sometimes just keeping it simple is best. The ladies were happy to come eat, visit, and take home a finished craft.
The total cost for the entire evening: Under $30, including the craft, dinner, and decorations!
What a GREAT project! They are just too cute!! (=
ReplyDeleteWhat were the 3 sizes of the pumpkins?
ReplyDelete